We are delighted to announce that we will launch an exercise class in the conference room at the library beginning August 6! Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning at 1:30 and ending at 2:15 PM. Sandy Bodamer, Senior Activities and RHY Wellness Director from the YMCA will be leading the classes.

Sandy began her career at the Pen Bay YMCA when she moved to Maine from Pittsburg. Her love of fitness and working with others has kept her at the Y for 20 years. She loves working with the Active Older Adult population, helping to improve the quality of health and wellness through her classes and outreach in the community.

Everyone is welcome. There is no charge but donations are gratefully accepted. The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library will be underwriting the program for the most part. You can come when you wish and do not need to commit to any term.

Exercises will focus on standing and chair routines and we may use light weights, balls and possibly stretchy bands. The room is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter and bright even on dreary days thanks to lots of wonderful windows! Please join us!

Please note there will not be class on Tuesday, August 20 or Tuesday, August 27. Class will still be held on Thursdays as usual for those weeks.

September 20 - Communi-TEA!

Fall is on its way! It's almost time for apples, pumpkin spice, and scarves! In the meantime, it could be 75 degrees or 50. Let's celebrate the mercurial beast that is September in Maine with some delicious sweets and savories, hot or iced tea, and the wonderful company of neighbors.

We encourage folks to bring an item of personal or pet care to donate to our local food pantry. These are items not generally covered by SNAP funds and would be most welcome. Tea is from 3-4:30 in our Main Reading Room. All are welcome!

For more information contact the library at 354-2453 or on our website.

Have You Updated Your Library Card?

As you may be aware, we recently joined a new shared library system called MILS! This change means that we need to issue new, longer library card numbers to all of our patrons. If you still have a 5-digit library card number, make sure to bring your card in to the library so that we can update your account and make sure you have access to all of our services, including online holds and interlibrary loans, cloudLibrary ebooks and digital audiobooks, and more.

Can't find your old library card? Let us know and we can provide a replacement.

The Thomaston Public Library Mystery Book Club will meet on Thursday, October 3 at 11 am to discuss the John Russell espionage series set in WWII Berlin by David Downing. The first book in the series is Zoo Station, but book club members are welcome to pick any of the six books in the series to read.

"By 1939, Anglo-American journalist John Russell has spent over a decade in Berlin, where his son lives with his mother. He writes human-interest pieces for British and American papers, avoiding the investigative journalism that could get him deported. But as World War II approaches, he faces having to leave his son as well as his girlfriend of several years, a beautiful German starlet.

"When an acquaintance from his old communist days approaches him to do some work for the Soviets, Russell is reluctant, but he is unable to resist the offer. He becomes involved in other dangerous activities, helping a Jewish family and a determined young American reporter. When the British and the Nazis notice his involvement with the Soviets, Russell is dragged into the murky world of warring intelligence services."

The Thomaston Public Library Mystery Book Club meets the first Thursday of every month at 11 am. For more information, please contact the library at (207) 354-2453.

September 17 - Intergenerational Book Club

On Tuesday, September 17 at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Intergenerational Book Club will discuss Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout.

From the publisher:

"Recalling Olive Kitteridge in its richness, structure, and complexity, Anything Is Possible explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.

"Here are two sisters: One trades self-respect for a wealthy husband while the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. The janitor at the local school has his faith tested in an encounter with an isolated man he has come to help; a grown daughter longs for mother love even as she comes to accept her mother’s happiness in a foreign country; and the adult Lucy Barton (the heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton, the author’s celebrated New York Times bestseller) returns to visit her siblings after seventeen years of absence.

"Reverberating with the deep bonds of family, and the hope that comes with reconciliation, Anything Is Possible again underscores Elizabeth Strout’s place as one of America’s most respected and cherished authors."

On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together at the library to share their opinions and ideas about the selected book. All are welcome at the Thomaston Public Library on August 20 at 2:30 PM. If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at (207) 354-2453 a week before the discussion date.

In October, the group will discuss Educated by Tara Westover. Copies will be available to borrow at the library and through interlibrary loan. Please make sure to let us know if you would like us to request you a copy through ILL - it can take a week or more for a book to arrive. For more information, please contact the library at (207) 354-2453.